Thursday, October 9, 2014

I offer a variety of presentations, author in residence programs and conduct workshops for children at schools. I offer a variety of presentations for grades three to eight, but can work with grades one and two as well. I cover such topics as where ideas come from, story structure, editing and revision, character development, time travel stories, history and research, plus many other aspects of writing and publishing. I will present to around one hundred students at a time, although we can also look at workshops with smaller groups or individual classes. Each of my novels provide ideas for classroom projects and you may find some suggestions on the Study Guides page on my website. Contact me for details of fees and availability for school presentations.

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

The House of Commons is the elected chamber in Canada’s
Parliament. Members of Parliament are known as MPs and represent
areas known as ridings. Seats are allocated based on population in
different provinces and territories. Although the House of Commons is
called the lower house, it does not have less power than the Senate. The prime
minister, cabinet ministers, and the leaders of the opposition parties are all
members of the House of Commons.

The House of Commons is part of the Canada’s Governing Bodies series, published by Weigl Publishers, August 2014.

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Historical fiction combines the events of the past with characters and stories from the writer’s imagination.

This course examines the art of writing of historical fiction and the need to fully immerse yourself in a particular time period to make your storytelling more believable. Learn how to write effective, authentic and appealing historical fiction and how to turn your ideas into compelling stories. Understand what defines historical fiction and different historical time periods, create believable settings and plausible characters and learn how research plays a crucial role in the creation of your novel.

The course involves assignments, discussions, and writing exercises, and also deals with aspects of the writing process. The course also examines ways to research publishing houses where you can submit your work, cover letters, synopses and sample chapters.

All course materials, assignments, feedback, and assessments are sent to students by email. Group discussions will take place throughout the course depending on the number of students that are registered.

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Christopher Columbus
discovered the North American continent in October 1492. The Treaty of
Tordesillas solved disputes between Spain and Portugal over the new lands. However,
England and France also began to send expeditions to the New World.For the
next 100 years, Europeans explored North America and attempted to establish
colonies. The Europeans came into conflict with American Indians as well as
with each other during the sixteenth century. The first permanent settlements
were eventually established around 1600, after which European colonization of
North America increased rapidly.First Settlers - 1492-1607 is part of the U.S. History Timelines series published by Weigl
Publishers in August 2014. You can learn more about First Settlers - 1492-1607, as well as my many other non-fiction titles, on my website.

Saturday, October 4, 2014

Each year, the Continuing Education department at the University of Calgary serves over 20,000 lifelong learners and offers thousands of courses taught by more than 1,000 instructors – all experts in their fields.Forming Fictional Characters - Tuesday, October 28, 6 pm to 9 pm Without people there is no plot and characters are at the heart of any story. In this workshop, we explore where writers get ideas for the people in their stories, the many methods of creating strong characters and how to use descriptive language to build them. Students invent their own unique characters and also learn how to write effective and engaging dialogue for their creations so that their characters truly come alive for the reader.Learn more about the Forming Fictional Characters workshop and how to registerhere

Friday, October 3, 2014

Join me this weekend at the Meet Your Local Authors Book Fair in October. The event takes place at Parkdale Community Centre in NW Calgary this Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm. More than 30 authors will be in attendance to meet their readers, autograph books and answer questions about their work in a showcase of local talent. Genres include children's books, YA, teens, adult fiction and nonfiction, biographies, history, self-help, and many more.Parkdale Community Centre is located at 3512 5 Avenue NW. Hope to see you there on Saturday.

Check out the latest interview with Joshua Pantalleresco, in which I discuss recent and upcoming projects, writing courses, history, publishing, marketing and more. Here's a short excerpt.

"What a lot of writers forget is
that when something really catches on everyone is writing in that genre and
sending these types of books to publishers. They have stacks of these things
now. It’s perhaps better to work on something that hasn’t been done lately, or
even something different.

Several years ago, someone sent
me a story to read that featured a school for magic. Naturally, I pointed out
the similarities to Harry Potter. They acknowledged the connection and
influence but then pointed out how different their story was, which, to be
honest, was at best only cosmetic.

You can’t write a story that’s been done
before like that. You can’t have Hogwarts show up in another novel altogether
with a different name. You can’t have vampires that are direct copies of
Twilight in your story. You have to take the time to come up with something
original."

For my Author in Residence program, I can be at your school for a week or longer. This allows me to cover topics in much more depth than would be possible during a regular author visit. Each of my novels provide ideas for classroom projects and you may find some suggestions on the Study Guides page on my website. I have some suggestions for presentations and workshops, but am always pleased to work with teachers and librarians to build sessions best suited to your students.

Contact me for details of fees and availability for my Author in Residence program.

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Historical fiction combines the events of the past with characters and stories from the writer’s imagination.

This course examines the art of writing of historical fiction and the need to fully immerse yourself in a particular time period to make your storytelling more believable. Learn how to write effective, authentic and appealing historical fiction and how to turn your ideas into compelling stories. Understand what defines historical fiction and different historical time periods, create believable settings and plausible characters and learn how research plays a crucial role in the creation of your novel.

The course involves assignments, discussions, and writing exercises, and also deals with aspects of the writing process. The course also examines ways to research publishing houses where you can submit your work, cover letters, synopses and sample chapters.

All course materials, assignments, feedback, and assessments are sent to students by email. Group discussions will take place throughout the course depending on the number of students that are registered.

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

One World Trade Center is one of
the tallest buildings in the world and is located in the heart of New York
City. The
new World Trade Center complex is part of the plans to rebuild and provide a fitting memorial for all the victims of the September 11 attack.

Find out more about this impressive structure in One World Trade Center,
part of the Virtual Field Trip series. Published by Weigl Publishers, August 2014.

The Complete Guide to Writing Science Fiction leads the writer from the pitfalls and clichés of a first story to selling and promoting a novel, and the writing life beyond. Topics range from the history of SF to alien creation, world building, space travel, and future medicine ­a perfect reference and writing guide for someone wishing to write science fiction. In addition to my own contribution to the anthology, chapters are written by other established professionals as well as up-and-coming talents, including Jeanne Allen, Bud Sparhawk, Piers Anthony, Michele Acker, Milena Benini, Bob Nailor, Orson Scott Card, Michael McRae, Ian Irvine, Tina Morgan, Will McCarthy, Darin Park, Kim Richards, and Carol Hightshoe.Here are just a few of the reviews:

“The Complete Guide to Writing Fantasy is a broad compendium of advice and resource material developed and compiled by writers who understand the struggle involved in mastering the craft.”

“In short, if you were going to look up ‘experts’ to talk to about some aspect of the world you are building, these are the people you’d ask.”

“All aspiring and newly established science fiction writers should read The Complete Guide to Writing Science Fiction before sending out their manuscripts.”

Sunday, September 28, 2014

I offer workshops and presentations for both adults and children for community associations,home schooled students and summer camps, as well as services for writers including coaching, manuscript editing and evaluation, plus online workshops for children and for adults.I conduct creative writing workshops with community associations and have run workshops and made presentations as part of summer camp programs in Calgary and the surrounding area. I also work as an instructor at the University of Calgary and at Mount Royal University, conducting one day classes and evening sessions for adults who are interested in writing for children and young adults. I’ve also conducted similar workshops for adults for community associations, professional writer’s groups, public libraries and am available as a speaker for keynote addresses, conferences and other events.Contact me directly for further details about coaching and workshops.

Saturday, September 27, 2014

Writing for Children and Young Adults. Evening classes at Mount Royal University in Calgary from November 12 to December 3, 6.30 pm to 9.30 pm. Explore the process of writing books for children and young adults aged 8 to 12. Focus on structure, character development and research, and their importance in your stories. Examine how to turn a creative story idea into a marketable, finished manuscript.Registration is available here at the Mount Royal University website.

Friday, September 26, 2014

Unmanned Ariel Vehicles (UAVs), or drones as they are commonly known, are aircraft that are operated
by remote control. They can carry a
range of sophisticated equipment such as transmitters, sensors, cameras, and weapons. The U.S. military has used drones and governments are interested in using drones for law enforcement and border patrols. Drones have potential for
commercial and personal use, although this does raise complex issues regarding
privacy and congested air space over major cities. In remote areas, drones are
also an option for protecting endangered animals.

Drones is part of the Global Issues series, published by Weigl Publishers, August 2014.You can learn more about Drones, as well as my many other non-fiction titles, on my website.